HP, VMware up competitive ante against traditional telecom vendors; Colorado's telehealth bill heads to governor's desk

Wireline news from across the web:

@FierceTelecom RT @CapgeminiConsulOnly 37 percent of companies are getting started with a formal customer experience initiative. Article | Follow @FierceTelecom

> ALLO Communications has launched a project to bring 1 Gbps fiber service to Gering, Neb., homes. Article

> Traditional telecom equipment makers are feeling competitive pressure from IT companies such as Hewlett-Packard, VMware and Cisco Systems that are developing software-oriented solutions for building and running networks. Article

> Zayo has closed its previously announced offering of $730 million aggregate principal amount of its 6.00 percent Senior Notes due 2023. Release

> Colorado's proposed telehealth legislation now awaits the signature of the state's governor to become law. Article

Cable News
> Apple announced Monday that HBO's new a la carte streaming service, HBO Now, will launch exclusively on Apple TV and iOS devices in April, at a price of $14.99 a month. Article

> Could DirecTV reach its goal of going all-HD a year early and have the task completed by the end of 2015? Article

Wireless News
> Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf has been at the helm of Qualcomm for a little more than a year now, and although he has a quiet public style, inside the chipset maker he is showing his competitive side by working to make sure that the company can capture the next wave of growth in computing as the smartphone market matures. Article

> Verizon Wireless is facing an informal complaint from ABC, which claims Verizon's AWS-1 network is interfering with its WABC-TV station in New York City. Article

And finally… @infonetics: Europe's new antitrust chief warns that telecoms mergers must not endanger "affordable prices" for consumers. Article